BERLIN - Nearly 32 years after West Germany won the 10th World Cup in Munich, the world's greatest sporting event returns to the same city on Friday when Germany kick off the 18th edition against Costa Rica.

This, though, is a very different country -- and a very different kind of World Cup -- to the one staged in 1974.

Germany is now a united country, the Iron Curtain separating West from East long ago torn down, and 32 teams are competing to be world champions rather than the 16 that took part then.

Germany and Costa Rica get the 64-match competition underway at the futuristic Allianz Arena at 1800 local time (1600 GMT) with Poland meeting Ecuador in the second match of the day in Group A in Gelsenkirchen three hours later.

After months of expectation, anticipation and dedication from tens of thousands of people, the world's passion for Pele's "Beautiful Game" is about to get its four-yearly fix of new dramas, new controversies, new villains and new heroes beamed live to the watching billions around the world.

NO BALLACK

Germany start what they hope will be the march to a fourth world title without inspirational captain Michael Ballack.

Coach Juergen Klinsmann acknowledged that the midfielder's absence with a calf injury was a blow for the host nation, who are hoping to win their first World Cup since Klinsmann was in the team that won the trophy for the last time in 1990.

"Of course, we would have liked to have him in the team," said Klinsmann. "He's our captain and our leader."

But he also said Ballack's injury, sustained in a friendly match against Colombia last week, was on the mend.

"We'll leave him on the sidelines for this game and have him fit for the next one. It's annoying but not the end of the world," he told a news conference.

Costa Rica are at full strength and coach Alexandre Guimaraes is expected to play a cautious 3-5-2 formation in a bid to stifle Germany's attack and avoid a heavy defeat.

POLAND THIRD

Attention will switch from Munich to Gelsenkirchen later on Friday as Poland face Ecuador in the second match in the group.

The Poles would love to emulate -- and even surpass -- their success in West Germany in 1974, when they finished third at the finals following a playoff victory over Brazil.

Poland also hope to end a sequence in their last four finals appearances of failing to score in their opening match, having drawn 0-0 with West Germany in 1978, Italy in 1982 and Morocco in 1986 before losing 2-0 to hosts South Korea four years ago.

Ecuador also failed to score in their first ever match at a finals four years ago when they lost 2-0 to Italy in Japan.

But coach Luis Fernando Suarez believes they have improved since 2002 and is optimistic despite poor form in warm-up matches.

"Judge us when we are playing for real," he said, "I think we can do well and surprise a lot of people."